I just sent the following press release out to the local papers.

I have accepted a position with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, a non-partisan organziation, which has required me to resign my Langley Township Council seat. With just seven meeting dates left until the Nov. 19 election, my seat will remain vacant until then.

Jenny, the kids, and I are very excited about this new opportunity. It was simply too good to pass up. I’ll miss my work at Council, but I believe that you don’t need to be elected to make a positive impact on a community. We look forward to living and serving in Langley for many years to come.

My new cell number is 604-999-3319, and I can be emailed at jordan@jordanbateman.com.

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Jordan Bateman Named New CTF BC Communications Director
Two-term Langley Township Councillor Resigns to Take Provincial Post

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 8, 2011

Jordan Bateman at the opening of the Langley Events Centre

LANGLEY—Langley Township Councillor Jordan Bateman announced today that he is resigning from his elected position effective August 15 to become the BC Communications Director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“It has been an honour and privilege to serve my neighbours as a Township Councillor for the past six years,” said Bateman. “While I am excited for this new chapter of my life to begin, I will definitely miss this aspect of community service. Leaving Council was a difficult decision, but the CTF role was simply too great an opportunity for my family and me to pass up.”

Bateman, 35, was first elected in 2005, and topped the Township Council polls in 2008 by a wide margin, winning Walnut Grove, Willoughby, Murrayville, Fort Langley, and Brookswood, and finishing a very close second in Aldergrove and Salmon River.

He cited the Langley Events Centre, Willoughby Community Park, restoration of the Fort Langley waterfront, public safety improvements, chairing the local Olympic Torch events, hitting the threshold of one job for every Township citizen, and significant investments in Aldergrove infrastructure, as highlights of his time on Council.

“I leave Council knowing that Langley is a better, safer, healthier place than when I was first elected,” said Bateman. “This community should be very proud of the way it has invested in its future, and I know the citizens of Langley appreciate sound, forward-thinking leadership as much as I do. This is a remarkable place to live, work, play, and raise a family.”

Bateman starts with the CTF on Monday, August 15, the same day his resignation from Council takes effect. Langley Township Council is currently on a summer break before its final seven meetings of the 2008-2011 term. No by-election is required.

Bateman, his wife Jennifer, and children Indiana, Danica and Jackson, plan to stay in Langley for the long term. “We love this community,” said Bateman. “Every blessing in my life has flowed from being in this place. I met Jenny here, we got married here, we bought our home here, we started our business and church here, we are raising our children here. We feel very fortunate to be part of this incredible community, and look forward to giving back to it in new ways.”

For more information:
Jordan Bateman jordan@jordanbateman.com or 604-340-9385

From the Township of Langley:

LEPS Executive Director Nichole Marples enjoyed a blackberry treat at last year's event.

What is the best way to help rid the community of an invasive species? Pick it, bake it into something delicious, and eat it up!

The Langley Demonstration Garden is celebrating its 11^th Annual Open House with a barbeque and Blackberry Bake-Off on Wednesday, August 17. From 11am to 2pm, guests are encouraged to visit the Demonstration Garden at 4887 – 221 Street to enjoy a locally grown barbeque lunch by donation and indulge in blackberry treats.  A mini farmer’s market, live music and dancing, and a chance to make eco art or a bird feeder will also be held.

Budding bakers and culinary connoisseurs are encouraged to enter a blackberry creation for a chance to win prizes and accolades from judges and tasters.

“We get such creative entries in the Bake-Off, from blackberry barbeque ribs to old fashioned blackberry pie, and they’re all so delicious,” said Demonstration Garden Coordinator Liz Kendler, who noted that the Bake-Off is a great way to help reduce the ecological impact of the tasty but destructive berry.

The Himalayan Blackberry was first introduced to North America from India via England in 1885, and quickly became a highly invasive species. Himalayan Blackberry vines spread rapidly, Kendler said, and can blanket vast areas. While the fruit is delicious, the plant itself takes over natural vegetation and threatens local biodiversity.

To raise awareness about the impact of the Himalayan Blackberry on the environment, and to enjoy its fruit, the Langley Demonstration Garden introduced the Blackberry Bake-Off in 2001.

To enter the Blackberry Bake-Off and receive a list of acceptable, food-safe ingredients, contact the Langley Demonstration Garden at demogarden@tol.bc or 604.532.3521.

On August 17, 221 Street will be closed between 48A and 49 Avenues between 8am and 4pm to accommodate the event. Residents will still be able to access all parking lots on 221 Street.

Notes from Langley Township Council’s meeting on Monday night, July 25, 2011. A full agenda, including reports, can be found on our Council meeting website here, and a complete webcast of the meeting is posted here.

Langley Meals on Wheel s Services Society showed us a great video on their Food and Friends program.

Una St. Clair of Citizens for Safe Technology made a delegation to Council claiming that Hydro smart meters could cause cancer. Council voted 6-3 (moved by Richter, seconded by Fox; Bateman, Ward and Kositsky opposed) to send a letter to the federal and provincial governments requesting a moratorium on smart meters.

The BC Summer Games Society announced where its surplus funds will go. See here for those details.

Zosia Ettenberg of the Langley Pos-Abilities Society requested a Township grant of $3,000. The Society missed the deadline to apply. Council voted unanimously to give the grant, which will be funded partially by leftover funds in our 10 by 10 Disability Challenge account (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ferguson).

After no submissions from the public, a development permit was unanimously issued (moved by Ferguson, seconded by Dornan) for an office building at 8047 199 St.

After five public submissions, Council voted 8-1 (Ward opposed) to defeat a development permit application by Costco to put a gas station in the northeast corner of its site. Instead, they will have to abide by their original approval and site it on the southeast corner.

After eight speakers, Council voted unanimously (moved by Ferguson, seconded by Bateman) to issue a development permit for the new Fort Langley IGA.

Third reading for Silver Star’s 12-lot subdivision at 6825 206 St. was approved unanimously.

Third reading for MJM Homes’s 6-lot subdivision at 20541 68 Ave. was approved unanimously (moved by Ward, seconded by Bateman).

Final adoption for the Murrayville pedestrian overpass bylaw was passed 7-2 (moved by Fox, seconded by Dornan; Bateman and Ferguson opposed).

An amended procedural bylaw, to add elements asking watchers to restrain themselves from cheering, booing or heckling, was passed 6-3 (moved by Fox, seconded by Bateman; Green, Richter and Ferguson opposed).

Final adoption of a bylaw to rezone 0.93 acres at 6846 197B St. for four single family lots was passed unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward). The accompanying development permit was also passed unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Dornan).

Final adoption of a bylaw to rezone 20966 77A Ave. for 83 townhouses was passed unanimously (moved by Ferguson, seconded by Bateman). The accompanying development permit was also passed unanimously (moved by Ward, seconded by Ferguson).

Council voted unanimously to support my motion to look at increasing fines for illegally parking in disabled spots (seconded by Ferguson). This will come back to Council in the fall.

We voted 5-3 (moved by Richter, seconded by Bateman; Green, Ward and Long opposed and Kositsky absent) to ask TransLink to reconsider its 2 cent per litre gas tax increase. For coverage of this debate, see here and here.

Council voted 8-0 (moved by Richter, seconded by Bateman; Kositsky absent) to approve new rules on how much staff time and money the Mayor or an individual member of councillor can take up.

Notes from Langley Township Council’s meeting on Monday afternoon, July 25, 2011. A full agenda, including reports, can be found on our Council meeting website here, and a complete webcast of the meeting is posted here.

Council voted 7-1 (moved by Bateman, seconded by Dornan; Richter opposed and Ferguson absent) to defer a delegation from Pete Pretorius until after the bylaws referenced have been processed. This was based on legal advice to the Township regarding public hearing rules.

Werner Hofstatter of WoodWorks BC asked Council to support wood first initiatives in municipal construction. Later in the meeting, Council voted unanimously to send the organization a letter of support (moved by Long, seconded by Ferguson; Kositsky absent).

Langley RCMP Superintendent Derek Cooke gave Council his quarterly update.

Two ALR homesite severance applications, for 2145 272^nd St. (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ward) and 4017 224^th St. (moved by Fox, seconded by Ward), were supported unanimously.

An ALR lot line adjustment application, for 1934 and 1966 240^th St., was also supported unanimously (moved by Long, seconded by Ward).

Council unanimously approved a request to the GVRD to expand the Fraser Sewerage Area to include 4726 248^th Street (moved by Fox, seconded by Dornan).

Council voted unanimously to approve repairs and upgrades to an underground fuel storage tank at our Operations Centre (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ferguson).

Council voted 8-1 to ask staff to bring forward a bylaw allowing for RV stays of up to six months during the winter months (moved by Richter, seconded by Fox; Kositsky opposed).

We voted 8-1 (moved by Dornan, seconded by Ferguson; Kositsky opposed) to waive a rental fee of $872.94 for the Cops for Cancer bike riders to stay overnight at the Willoughby Recreation Centre.

Council voted unanimously (moved by Bateman, seconded by Ferguson) to advise our regional representatives that Council does not support the TransLink 2012 base plan, which includes money for an SFU gondola study but nothing for Langley).

A Coun. Richter notice of motion to get a legal opinion on a development moratorium over the Hopington Aquifer was seconded by Coun. Fox, then referred to staff (moved by Long, seconded by Ferguson; passed 7-2 with Richter and Fox opposed).

A Coun. Richter notice of motion to get a legal opinion on the powers and duties of the Approving Officer was passed 5-4 (seconded by Fox; Fergsuon, Ward, Long, and Kositsky opposed).

We voted unanimously to send a letter of support to Mayor Dianne Watts, who is recovering from a horse accident (moved by Fox, seconded by Bateman).

In news that surprises no one, Mayor Rick Green has formed his own slate–Vote Langley Now. The slate was unveiled at a rally in Murrayville Hall tonight.

The Green Slate includes previously defeated candidates Dorothy McKim and Glen Tomblin, Tony Malyk, Tyler deBoer (son-in-law of Rick’s top financier Russ Shiels), Ben Penner, Carla Robin and Dave Stark.

One wonders why anyone would announce anything political in the middle of summer, four months before the vote, but Rick needs to change the channel away from his disastrous past few weeks, which saw the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to review the RCMP report into his actions, and his bungling of the TransLink gas tax vote (opposed by 90% of Township residents, according to my straw poll).

From the Township of Langley:

It may have been a wet, cool summer so far, but Township of Langley residents are still not allowed to burn in their backyards.

A burning ban is in place throughout the Township year-round, with the exception of the month of April and from September 15 to October 31. During these times, residents are allowed to burn yard debris if they are on properties that meet size and location requirements, and have obtained a permit for the burning season.

But this is not burning season, warned Township Assistant Fire Chief Pat Walker.

“The Fire Department understands the desire for some people to do outdoor cooking and have social events around fires, but current regulations do not permit open, private cooking fires that use wood,” he said. “We want to work with the public and educate them, and try to reduce the number of calls we receive.”

The problem with backyard bonfires is that they create smoke that inundates the air with particulates, making breathing uncomfortable for others and causing damage to the environment, Walker said. As well, fires pose a risk of running out of control. While it has been rainy for some time, it doesn’t take long for grass and trees to become dry and extremely flammable as soon as the sun comes out.

Residents can’t burn garbage, paper, construction waste, or presto logs, and fire pits and chimineas are prohibited. While fires for cooking are not allowed, Walker said, briquettes can be used in barbecues, and Canadian Gas Approved (CGA) natural gas or propane barbecues and stoves are permitted.

Campfires are allowed only in regional parks, and only when weather conditions allow.

The Township’s fire ban is there to protect lives and property, Walker said, and those who violate the rules can be fined.

“We do ticket for these offences,” he said, adding that the Fire Department acts on complaints that are made by residents.

For more information, call the Township of Langley Fire Department at 604.532.7500.

I heard a wild rumour this weekend that the Langley School Board is planning to close Willoughby Elementary School in fall 2012. This is absolutely not true.

I suspect the confusion may stem from the recent arrival of development signs for the Yorkson Town Centre, which wraps around the School District’s property at 208th and 80th. This development does not include the school.

Anyway, I’m not sure how widespread this rumour is, but Lynn Fripps Elementary, opening in the fall of 2012, will add to the elementary school seats at Willoughby Elementary–not replace it.

It’s a landslide.

On Wednesday afternoon, I conducted an automated telephone poll of several thousand Langley Township residents (disclosure: no tax dollars were used to do this poll). This poll has caused quite a stir in our community. I have received more than 100 phone calls and emails since the poll. A special thanks to everyone who responded.

I am not claiming that these results are scientific. This was a straw poll of Langley Township residents, to give me a sense of what they were feeling, as we went into our Township Council meeting Monday.

The results were very clear:

228 people supported the gas tax (10.37%)
1,970 people opposed the gas tax (89.63%)

I think emailer Kevin Mazerolle summed up the feelings of most Township residents on this gas tax:

Generally I am in favour of using gas taxes to fund all transportation infrastructure needs but not this time. I’m tired of subsidizing the needs of other communities only to have our neighbours ignore Langley’s requirements. For example, why am I helping to pay for the improvements to the Sea-to-Sky highway when the new Port Mann Bridge will be paid for by the user through tolls? Why as a taxpayer did I help to build a low volume island freeway north of Nanaimo but I have to pay a toll to travel next door to Maple Ridge? What about the extensive loop of SkyTrain service through Burnaby that I helped pay for only to see the mayor of Burnaby fight freeway expansion through his city? Message to the people of Coquitlam – pay for your own transportation upgrades. We in Langley are!

Here’s what I think. For the very minimal service upgrade the Township will receive, 2 cents per litre is just not worth it; especially when TransLink takes 15 cents per litre already.

On the political side, I don’t fault Peter Fassbender and Dianne Watts for their support. Their communities are better served by transit than ours or Delta (not every member of the South Fraser is served equally). I think Delta Mayor Lois Jackson was right to vote against the tax increase, and I wish Mayor Rick Green had done the same. It’s disappointing that our mayor will raise taxes to fund infrastructure elsewhere, but not take care of his own community. After years of trying to make the case that transit service in Langley Township does not measure up to what we are paying, he supported paying even more! That’s a poke in the eye of communities like Aldergrove and Murrayville.

Worse yet, Mayor Green refuses to go on the record and be open and accountable about his gas tax vote.

Now, if the tax burden was spread fairly around the region: tolls on the Sea to Sky and other highway upgrades (why are we being dinged for both the Golden Ears and Port Mann?) and tax bills that were scaled to proximity to rapid transit, and

Of course, I’m not saying anything that Langley Times editor Frank Bucholtz isn’t:

South Fraser politicians should be pushing hard for a reduction in the gas tax – not an increase. They should also lobby for minimal tolls on all Lower Mainland river and inlet crossings, to distribute that load more fairly. And at the same time, they should emphatically reject any car tax to pay for a transit service that benefits the Burrard Peninsula at the expense of the South Fraser region.

In another piece, Frank goes even further:

Nonetheless, there is no way TransLink can honestly justify charging Langley drivers 17 cents per litre in gas tax, plus all the other TransLink taxes and fees, for the minimal service here.

If there is to be an added gas tax, it should only apply in areas with comprehensive transit service. That would be Vancouver, Burnaby. New Westminster, Richmond and perhaps the North Shore.

All that to say this: I will wholeheartedly support Coun. Kim Richter’s motion Monday night asking TransLink to reconsider the 2 cent per litre gas tax.

Over on his BC 2013 blog, Sacha Peter has an update and analysis of the 2010 Annual BC Political Party Financial Disclosure documents. Sacha examines the BC Liberals, BC NDP, Greens, and BC Tories and weighs in on their financial health.

Short strokes: “It would appear that the BC Liberals are advantaged in terms of money if an election were called today, but their relative advantage over the other parties would be greater if an election were held later.”

In news that will delight many Fort Langley residents, the Fort IGA development permit application and hearing is on our Langley Township Council agenda for Monday. All the feedback thus far has been very positive. Check out their plan here.